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How To...
Memorize a Verse

• Read the verse several times to get the meaning.
• Start with the topic and reference, "Assurance of Salvation, John 5:24," and say it several times with the first phrase of the verse.
• Then when you can say that by heart, add the next phrase, and say the topic and reference together with both phrases.
• Continue phrase by phrase until you can say the entire verse from memory.
• Then each time you review the verse, state the topic, the reference, the verse, and the reference again at the end.
• By repeating the reference before and after the verse, it helps you remember the location of it in the Bible.

The key to successful Scripture memory is daily review. Review the verse every day until it becomes part of you. Carry cards with you so that they are handy for use during your spare time. Scripture memory can become a lifetime habit that will give you blessing and strength as you learn to apply the verses to your life.

Congratulations!

Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)

Along with this wonderful truth the Scripture also says, "But to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

If you have to the best of your knowledge received Jesus Christ, God's Son, as your own Savior, according to the Scriptures quoted above you have become a child of God in whom Jesus Christ dwells.

Too many people make the mistake of measuring the certainty of their salvation by their feelings. Don't make this tragic mistake. Believe God! Take Him at His word: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1John 5:13).

You have become a child of God; you have been born into His family as a spiritual babe. You have the potential to live the rest of your life in victorious obedience to God. It is our desire to share with you a few simple truths that will strengthen you, and keep you safe from the onslaughts of Satan.

In 1Peter 2:2 you will read, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." And in Acts 20:32 you will read, "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up." His word will now serve as your spiritual food and will build you up in the faith.

If you don't have a Bible, please get one and begin to read it faithfully every day. It is important that you begin to set aside time, preferably in the morning, to read and study the word of God, and to pray. A good place to start reading would be the Gospel of John or the Gospel of Mark.

A very effective way to get the Bible into your life is to begin memorizing key portions of it. Why should we do this? In Psalm 119:9 we read, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." Then in verse 11 the psalmist says to the Lord, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." God's word gives us answers to everyday problems. So we challenge you to hide Scripture in your heart--to memorize it--to become stronger in your Christian life. In this booklet we have included a few key passages with which you may begin.

But first, let us consider the new enemy you now face. Before you trusted Christ, Satan may not have bothered you particularly, but now you have left his crowd and joined the ranks of those who believe in and follow the Son of God and His word. You are no longer in Satan's domain. You belong to Christ, who has bought and paid for you with a price--the price of His own blood shed on the cross.

You may be sure that Satan will attempt to trouble you. His attacks assume many forms, but we want to speak of some of the most common ones, and help you resist them successfully. The four verses of Scripture in this course will equip you for your first encounters with the enemy.

Assurance of Salvation

Satan's first approach is often to cast doubt on the work God has done in your heart. Although you won't hear his audible voice, he will whisper this in your mind: "You don't think you are saved and your sins forgiven just by believing and receiving Christ? Surely that is not enough!"

What will your answer be? Your only hope of successfully resisting such an attack is to resort to God's word. What does God say about the matter? That is the important thing. The first memory passage, John 5:24 is entitled Assurance of Salvation, and says, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

Please use this verse to get rid of the doubt and fear Satan whispers into your heart. God promises us that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will surely be saved. Salvation is based on God's word; this is why we know we are saved. It is not based on "feelings," or good deeds or being a good person.

Notice in this verse that Jesus clearly says if you have heard the gospel and believed in God and Jesus, the Savior God has sent, you have crossed over from death to life--you are saved right now and have eternal life. In the future you will definitely not be condemned to Hell--the place God prepared for Satan and his demons, together with all those who are not willing to believe in Jesus Christ. Please memorize this verse to get rid of the doubt and fear in your heart, and extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)

Assurance of Victory

Another attack from Satan may be along this line: He will whisper to you, "You have life, all right, but you are a weakling; you have always been a weakling." He will remind you of some sin, which has gripped you for years. He will point to something of which you are keenly aware, and say, "You are weak, and you will not be able to stand against this temptation. You may be able to stand against others, but not this one."

How will you answer him? Will you attempt to reason? Will you try to produce your own arguments? Will you run to see what other people say? Or will you rely on God's word? The second verse to memorize--1 Corinthians 10:13--is chosen especially to meet this attack of Satan. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

This gives Assurance of Victory. God promises victory. It belongs to you as His child. Believe Him, and you will see how God does things that are impossible with men. It will thrill you to see chains of lifetime habits broken by His mighty power.

Assurance of Forgiveness

Now let us take a look at the third step of Satan's attack. Although victory over sin is rightfully yours, there will be times when you miss the way of escape and you will fail and sin against God. Once you do, your enemy will be on the job immediately: "Now you've done it. Aren't you supposed to be a Christian? Christians don't do those things."

But God makes provision in His word for the failures of His children, as we see in the third verse on Assurance of Forgiveness, 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." In this verse God promises not only to forgive us, but also to cleanse us. What a gracious provision!

Assurance of Answered Prayer

A spiritual babe needs to learn that he can speak directly to his Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. He can confidently enter God's presence and talk to Him about everything that affects his life (Philippians 4:6). In memory verse John 16:24, Jesus gives us the Assurance of Answered Prayer, that He will answer our prayers.

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